


Lean On Me

by baramgaebi



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: But a tired sun, Canon Compliant, Comfort, Crying, Established Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Exhaustion, Fluff, He gets one and many more, Hugs, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan Is The Sun, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan Needs a Hug, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, M/M, Mark Lee (NCT) is Whipped, NCT Dream Ensemble Are Best Friends, OT7 NCT Dream, Overworking, Soft Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Tired Lee Donghyuck | Haechan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:06:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27463906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baramgaebi/pseuds/baramgaebi
Summary: It's 2020 and Donghyuck relearns that it's okay to rely on others.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 30
Kudos: 461





	Lean On Me

Once Mark graduates from Dream, everything shifts. 

It becomes weird - suddenly practice room is too big, their formations are all wrong and nobody knows who should start a formal greeting. But most of all, they just miss having Mark with them. They all grew up together and although Mark and Donghyuck were also a part of another group, seven of them were used to just that - them being seven. 

They don’t pick a new leader - it’s a decision they make by themselves and the company grudgingly agrees. However Jeno does get stopped by their manager, who explains that he might not be an official leader but he's still the oldest Korean member and therefore, some duties will fall on his shoulders, whether he likes it or not. It’s a warning of sorts - to be ready to become responsible for the group when the situation calls for it. 

Jeno doesn’t think about asking Mark for any advice, because he is not a leader. But he must have noticed on his own, because a few months after his official graduation he pulls Jeno aside to talk with him. 

“Don’t worry so much, you’ll be good for them,” he says then, smiling at him with sad eyes. Jeno swallows harshly. Mark used one of his very few days when he is actually free from any schedules just to come to them and reassure Jeno. There is no one else who could be really their leader in Jeno’s eyes.    
“If you think it’s too much, just ask Hyuck for help,” the older boy said to him. “He will get you. He always does.” 

They already rely a lot on Donghyuck during variety shows and they always look in his direction if he’s with them during vlives. It’s something that comes to him naturally when they’re filming something - telling a joke, bringing smiles on their faces, making them relaxed. If they are caught doing something, he's already on his feet, thinking up excuses and diverting attention elsewhere. It seems cruel to require from him anything more than that. So in the end Jeno doesn’t speak to Donghyuck about it and figures he will have to manage without burdening his friend any further. 

_ He will get you _ _,_ said Mark and Jeno notices that Donghyuck somehow does exactly that. He helps others to get in formations, nudges Jaemin when he spaces out during interviews, stops the bickering between Chenle and Jisung and encourages Jeno whenever someone has to speak on behalf of the whole group. He’s still being himself - always teasing, making fun of the others and laughing too loudly, but somehow Jeno is comforted by his presence more than ever. He’s not a leader - not when he’s a cause of their loudest and most chaotic moments - but he becomes a pillar that Jeno finds himself relying upon when things get too hard. 

They manage to end promotions for  _ Boom  _ smoothly, even if Donghyuck’s schedule turns ridiculous to the point that Jeno doesn’t even know if he’s still in Korea. They watch him being not simply tired but  _ exhausted _ , snuggling up to them in a desperate call for affection but still not letting out a word of complaint. They don’t talk about it but each of them tries their best to help him. Still, Jeno can’t help but think that it was easier when Mark was still with them, shouldering Donghyuck’s burdens in a way that none of them couldn’t. 

So the word _relief_ doesn’t even come close to what Jeno feels when he hears about Mark’s comeback to Dream. The way they get to know about it is everything but spectacular. Jeno and Donghyuck are climbing up the stairs in the company building, planning to practice their dancing a little. On their way they meet their manager who shares the news in a low whisper. He says that company plans to make Dream a fixed unit and that Mark is expected to come back to them for their project in October and actually stay for good, graduation be damned. It’s definitely too early for members to know anything about it, but judging from the way the older man’s eyes sparkle with mischief and pure affection, it’s not accidental. 

“In the end it’s still Mark’s decision, so don’t pressure him,” the manager warns them, before they can say anything in response. Then he smiles reassuringly. “But knowing Mark, he will agree. God knows how much this boy missed being with all of you.”

Then he goes down the stairs, like he didn’t just tell them something that he definitely shouldn’t be sharing with others. Jeno stays frozen for a split second, torn between being shocked, amazed and ridiculously  happy. He turns to Donghyuck, ready to match his smile or maybe see his silly dance. What he sees instead makes his heart stop. 

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” he asks, quickly reaching out for him. Donghyuck looks as surprised as Jeno feels, looking at him with startled eyes. 

“What?” he asks back, unconsciously touching his face and wiping off the tears that are streaming down his face. His eyes are glistening in the dark staircase and his cheeks are actually wet. 

“What’s wrong?” Jeno repeats. “Are you hurt?” 

“What? No!” he protests quickly, making a move to rub his eyes but Jeno quickly catches his hand. 

“Don’t do that. It will only hurt later,” he scolds gently, opening his backpack and fishing out a pack of tissues. He hands them over to Donghyuck, who rips out one of them angrily and dries his face. “C’mon, let’s go to the practice room.”

Donghyuck only nods in response and lets himself be pulled by Jeno. They make their way to the practice room in silence, Jeno holding the other boy’s hand tightly in his. He doesn’t know if he’s imagining it, but he thinks he can feel Donghycuk’s fingers shaking. 

It’s not the first time that he’s seen Donghyuck cry. Usually he cries out of happiness - whenever he laughs too much tears gather up in corners of his eyes and soon he’s scrambling away to find some tissues. Jeno saw him crying sometimes during their trainee days and even cried along with him, although he’s sure that the one who saw the most of his tears back then was Mark. He tends to cry when he gets overwhelmed with the movie he’s watching. Sometimes he cries at concerts too, always hiding his tears from the watchful eyes of his fans and other members. Jeno has most of these moments engraved well into his memory. 

(The most heartbreaking one was when they visited Donghyuck at the hospital where he was taken after breaking his leg. News about his hiatus had them all worried not only about his condition but also reaction to it, but somehow he managed to remain calm, encouraging them to give their best and making fun of Jisung, who looked like he was on the verge of tears. He was still smiling teasingly at them when they were leaving and Jeno knew it was a facade that he built up to not worry them too much, but he decided to respect it. He lasted only about a few minutes before telling the others to go ahead and turning back to Donghyuck’s room, only to see the other boy crying silently, looking more angry than sad. He wordlessly joined his friend on the bed and enveloped him in a warm hug. And it was weird, because Jeno knew that Donghyuck wasn’t really short, but somehow, at that moment, he felt devastatingly small in his arms. Donghyuck didn’t say anything for a while, just clutched tightly Jeno’s shirt between his fingers and cried, out of frustration and anger, causing Jeno’s heart to break into tiny pieces. He couldn’t recall a moment in his life when he felt more useless. 

“Just wait,” he said when he couldn’t cry anymore, voice weak, thick, a little broken and _so_ unlike him. “I’ll come back soon. And I’ll be even more amazing than now, so you better not slack off.”

And he did come back. Earlier than anyone expected. And even more amazing than before.) 

It’s not the first time that he has seen Donghyuck cry but it doesn’t really matter, because each time leaves Jeno clueless about what to do. Donghyuck has so much joy and happiness bundled up in his body that whenever he appears to be sad, it makes others around him feel unsettled. 

But he’s known Lee Donghyuck for seven years now and knows that physical affection is something that never fails to calm him down. So when they both sit on the floor of practice room, he pulls the other boy against his chest and cages him in his arms. Donghyuck doesn’t protest, but he’s still weirdly stiff and quiet. 

“How are you feeling? Any better?” he asks quietly.

“If better also means _embarrassed_ ,” the other boy says, a low whine leaving his throat. “Can’t believe I was crying because of Mark Lee out of all people.”

Jeno snorts and immediately winces when he feels Donghyuck elbowing him between his ribs in response. He smiles nonetheless, because it's not the first time that Mark has made Donghyuck cry and if there’s a person who is both capable of doing that and remaining completely unaware of it, it really could be only Mark Lee. 

“It was a little bit extreme,” he teases lightly. “Are you that happy?”

He feels Donghyuck hesitate and Jeno realizes that he’s actually searching for the right words. 

“Not really?” he says but he sounds just as unconvinced as Jeno feels. “Well, that too, of course, who wouldn’t be happy? But it’s more like… I’m relieved, I guess.”

Jeno feels something very unpleasant squeezing his heart. 

“Was it that hard?” 

_ It  _ being obviously the whole previous year, constant schedules, missing out events with one group for the sake of participating in promotions with the other one. He feels foolish asking that question after seeing first-hand how exhausting Donghyuck’s schedules were. But he was always so full of energy that it was easy for Jeno to convince himself that it was nothing Donghyuck couldn’t handle. 

“It was fine!  _ I’m _ fine!” Donghyuck whines, finally relaxing and burrowing himself deeper between Jeno’s arms. He stays like that for a long time, simply basking in his friend’s presence before breaking a silence with: “It’s just that… it gets lonely sometimes.” 

He doesn’t really understand at first, so he just tightens his arms around him. Donghyuck’s words don’t really make sense to him because if anything, with how much he's around both Dream and 127 members, he should be complaining about literally anything other than being lonely. But then he recalls days when Mark was still in Dream and how often he and Donghyuck gravitated towards each other without really meaning to. They spent most of their days together, no matter if it was with their hyungs in 127 or them in Dream. 

And he thinks:  _ oh _ . Being in two units meant that Donghyuck can be close with all of the people that he considers dear to him, but at the same time there are still things that he doesn’t get to experience with one group because he’s spending time with the other one. Dream members try to include him in every way possible. They tell him about all of the things that happen during his absence, show him photos and ask about his opinion. And Donghyuck usually laughs, acts offended or voices out his stance on the matter, but sometimes he gets this strange, faraway look on his face and his smile is less bright than usual. 

Until last year, Donghyuck had always Mark with him. They both lived hectic lives, shared most of their schedules, and most importantly - knew how it felt to be unconsciously left out. It’s no wonder that when sometimes Jeno looked at the two of them, he felt left out himself. 

Others probably would never get it, no matter how much they wanted to comfort him. The only one who could understand Donghyuck was in yet another group, this time without him and it must have felt overwhelming, to be facing so many schedules and being completely alone while doing that. 

“Why didn’t you tell us anything?” 

“What was there to tell?” he asks back and Jeno can’t help but feel frustrated because it’s not the first time Donghyuck is trying to cover up his struggles with nonchalance. For someone so loud and honest all the time, it’s hard to get him to open up when it really matters. “It was okay. It  _ is _ okay. He’ll be back and I’ll tease the hell out of him.”

He falls silent for a second and then snorts.

“Well, I kind of feel bad for him now,” he admits and then continues in a tone reserved solely for secrets: “You know how he is, he will overwork himself.”

_ He won’t be the only one _ , Jeno thinks grimly, but decides to let it go.    
“We’ll take care of him,” he promises without any hesitation, once again tightening his arms around Donghyuck. “And we’ll take care of you, too.” 

*

Everybody knows that Jisung is always the first one to arrive for their dance practice. It’s sort of a common knowledge that NCT’s youngest member is to arrive early not because he needs extra time, but because he simply loves dancing and more often than not he can’t wait for other members to join him and starts practicing by himself. Usually he’s with Jaemin, who uses extra time to remember more complicated parts of their dances. 

This time he’s alone, because Jaemin was convinced in the morning by both Renjun and Jeno that he could use some free time for himself before they dive back into schedules with full force. On his way to the practice he notices their manager that usually helps out Donghyuck during their schedules. The older man acknowledges him with a nod of his head, but he’s busy talking on the phone, so Jisung continues his way to the studio without thinking about it too much. He only stops in his tracks when he hears music coming from the practice room, because he knows that no one beside NCT members should have access to this room during that time. 

And suddenly he’s glad that Jaemin isn’t there with him, because Jisung is weirdly happy that he might actually see Donghyuck behind these doors. The other boy has been busy with his comeback with NCT 127 and even when they started recording for their own new album, Donghyuck usually came at different times than the other members, so they didn’t have many chances to see him. The only time they actually get to talk to him is during their practices, but even then he’s always snatched away by their managers before Dream members can invite him out for a dinner or simple hang-out at their dorm. 

So he pushes the door to the practice room with a thumping heart, smiling slightly when he sees his hyung dancing in front of the mirror to some music that he doesn’t recognize. He stands there quietly for a moment, simply watching Donghyuck and noticing that his movements aren’t exactly sluggish, but they lack their usual smoothness. 

“Hyung?” he asks out aloud and watches as Donghyuck startles. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah, Jisungie!” the older exclaims, ignoring his question. “I missed you. Did you miss me too?”

“Of course not,” he denies and scowls for a good measure, because yes, he did, in fact, miss Donghyuck, but there’s no way he would admit it so easily in front of the other boy. 

Donghyuck whines in mock hurt, before turning to stop the music that was still playing on his phone laying on the floor. 

“What were you dancing to, hyung?” he asks curiously, coming inside. 

“It’s for our repackage album with 127. The title track is called _Punch_ ,” he explains, reaching out his hand to ruffle Jisung’s hair and smiling slightly when he feels the younger boy leaning into his touch for a few seconds. “We’ve been practicing for a few days now, but I look awkward during some moves. Thought I’d practice a little by myself before you all come here.” 

“Can I see?” he asks without really thinking about it. “Maybe I’ll be able to help out.”   
Donghyuck looks hesitant and Jisung knows he doesn’t doubt him or his skills but there  _ is _ something stopping him from putting his trust in him, showing him something he’s having troubles with. It’s not exactly unexpected because it’s Donghyuck, who almost never makes mistakes and who’s incredibly good at hiding his weaknesses and showing off his strengths instead. 

Jisung is aware that Donghyuck has his own insecurities, but sometimes he looks at him and it seems impossible. Donghyuck is always so sure of himself, of his opinions, of his hard work. He always looks like he knows exactly in which direction he’s going, like he has never in his life looked back. He trusts others a lot but he puts most belief in himself, so others can rely on him instead. He shines so much, both as Haechan and Donghyuck, that it feels weird to know there are some things that he has doubts about. 

And Jisung has always known that some of the older members - like Jeno, Taeil and Doyoung - are aware of these insecurities and Donghyuck lets them help out when they seem too much, but nowadays he finds himself wishing that Donghyuck would trust  _ him _ with this, too. 

“C’mon, hyung,” he says, catching Donghyuck’s smaller hand between his and then he finally relents. Before he can start the video on his phone, Jisung stops him and smiles at the confused look thrown in his direction. “I won’t be able to think on an empty stomach, I need to eat something.”

“You’re cute, Jisungie,” he states softly, tugging on Jisung’s ear. 

He sends him an angry look and stomps to the table by the entrance, where there’s plenty of snacks and drinks laid out. It was probably arranged by the manager who came together with Donghyuck, but one look at the table is enough for him to determine that nothing was taken from the impressive stash. He sighs before picking out snacks that Donghyuck likes the best and snatches bottles of water, too.

They huddle up in the corner of practice room with an open bag of snacks on their laps and Donghyuck’s phone in his hands. Jisung smiles when Donghyuck throws an arm around him and he’s immediately surrounded by the familiar scent of the older boy. They start watching recorded video of members dancing to _Punch_ and Jisung tries to not to distract himself with how  _ cool  _ the choreography looks. Now that he’s given a chance, he wants to be as useful as possible. He stops the video a few times and then rewatches it, making remarks and providing tips that he deems helpful. Donghyuck stays silent the whole time, nodding his head sometimes to show that he’s listening. He’s more focused now, giving Jisung all of his attention and he shouldn’t feel surprised or intimidated, because Donghyuck tends to that a lot. It’s just that usually it’s not Jisung that he focuses on. 

Donghyuck makes a move to stand up to probably practice some more, now that he’s got feedback from somebody else. Jisung is quick to rest his head on the older boy’s shoulder and it’s enough for Donghyuck to cease his movements. They both relax further and Jisung smiles a little when he feels Donghyuck’s chin on the top of his head. 

“Let’s rest a little, hyung,” he proposes, already reaching for his phone. “I have some funny clips I wanted to show you.” 

Donghyuck doesn’t say anything in response, just nuzzles his face into Jisung’s hair. It can’t be comfortable, but somehow he stays like that for a long time, not paying attention to what Jisung is showing him. He can feel the way Donghyuck’s chest moves with every breath and how with time it’s getting slower and slower. He’s wondering if the other boy has fallen asleep, when suddenly the doors to the practice room open and Jeno barges in along with Renjun and Jaemin and their manager.

“ _ What is this? _ ” Jaemin asks in purposely broken English, somehow managing to sound both sad and hurt. “You betrayed me, Jisungie? Me?” 

“Obviously it’s because I am Jisungie’s favourite, Jaeminnie,” says Donghyuck loudly, before placing a big, wet kiss on the younger boy’s cheek. Jisung scrambles away immediately, screeching in disgust, but Donghyuck stops him by throwing an arm around his neck. 

When he looks down, Donghyuck is looking at him fondly with shining, bright eyes. He reaches his other hand to ruffle Jisung’s hair affectionately. The movement of his fingers is gentle and caring, reserved only for moments like this one. But before Jisung can bask in this natural warmth of his hyung, Donghyuck laughs obnoxiously in a way that is distinctly  _ him  _ before pulling away to bother Jaemin, who’s still acting offended. 

He stands up, wiping at his cheek with an exaggerated movements. Soon enough there’s another, heavier arm on his shoulders and it’s Jeno smiling at him knowingly. 

“What,” he says flatly, trying to free himself from his hold but unfortunately Jeno is a lot stronger than him. 

“Our Jisungie has grown up so much!” Jeno says loudly, sounding weirdly proud, right before he puts Jisung in a chokehold. 

“Help,” he wheezes out, before realizing that it’s useless, because Chenle is not there yet (he would laugh at him anyway, that traitor), Renjun is ignoring him on purpose and Donghyuck somehow managed to throw himself into an aegyo battle with Jaemin. 

“I hate you, all of you,” he declares, when Jeno finally takes a pity on him and releases him, but even he is aware it’s a lie. 

*

“Are you eating enough?” 

Chenle startles at the sound of Jeno’s voice. They were waiting for their manager and he actually started dozing off on the couch in the waiting room after their first win with _Ridin_ ’. Jeno’s voice is quiet but it’s a tone he uses whenever he’s concerned about other members, so Chenle becomes alert on pure instinct. 

He cracks one eye open and sees Jeno with Donghyuck, standing in the corner of the room. Others appear to be absent and Chenle absently recalls Jisung saying something about being hungry, so Jaemin and Renjun must have gone with him to grab some snacks. He realizes that Jeno probably waited until he could talk to Donghyuck in private, even if “private” meant they were standing next to the sleeping Chenle. So he instantly closes his eyes and decides to listen in even if he’s feeling a little bad about it. 

But Donghyuck’s only answer is confused silence, so Jeno clarifies: 

“You’re much lighter compared to when we were playing games. And even then you weren’t too heavy.” 

“Are you sure you’re not just getting stronger, you gym monster?” Donghyuck’s joke falls flat, so he sighs loudly. “I eat a lot.” 

“Yeah,” Jeno sounds impatient now. “But is it enough? You’ve been tiring yourself out with us and 127, are you sure you feed your body enough?” 

“Jeno,” Donghyuck’s tone is more even now, not quite angry but not exactly warm either. “I can take care of myself. You should know that.” 

“I’m just worried about you.” 

There’s a heavy silence and then, the sound of rustling reaches his ears. After a moment Chenle decides to feed his curiosity and carefully cracks one eye open. He’s met with a view that isn’t exactly unfamiliar but it still manages to warm his heart a little. The two of them are hugging each other, Jeno’s arms wrapped around Donghyuck, who somehow managed to fit his head under his friend’s chin. Like this, Donghyuck looks unbelievably  _ small _ , like he was waiting - hoping - all this time for someone to open his arms for him, to hide in someone’s embrace or maybe even disappear there for a few minutes.

“I know you are, you sap,” Donghyuck says and Chenle doesn’t see his face but he’s sure the other boy is smiling. “But don’t, okay?”

Jeno doesn’t answer, because they all know that worrying comes together with solely being Jeno. But he does put his hand on Donghyuck’s hair and ruffles it slightly and Chenle sees Donghyuck sinking even further into his friend’s embrace.

They don’t break apart even when other members come back to the waiting room along with their manager. Jaemin instantly whines loudly about being left out and glues himself to them, wrapping his arms around both boys. Renjun rolls his eyes but still makes his way over to join them. Chenle doesn’t really need anybody to invite him - he stops pretending to be asleep right away and jumps to his feet. Somehow he manages to glue himself to Donghyuck’s back and encircle his arms around his waist, even if he does get struck by Jaemin’s elbow in the process. He makes a face at Jisung, who still awkwardly hovers at the door - probably wondering what caused this sudden group hug. He joins them after a moment, placing his chin on Jaemin’s shoulder and closing his eyes. 

“Hey,” Donghyuck calls out, but his voice is a fragile whisper that Chenle only hears because he has his chin pressed up to the other boy's back. He doubts the others even registered that he spoke up. “I love you.”

Nobody says anything back, but Chenle can feel Jeno bringing them even closer together, and he thinks it’s enough of an answer. 

As far as he knows, Jeno actually listens to Donghyuck and doesn’t touch on the subject anymore. But it makes _Chenle_ wonder . He doesn’t think about it constantly, but gets reminded of it at most random times, usually when he’s about to eat. He thinks:  _ did he eat already? _ and is startled at the realization that it’s a question that Donghyuck never fails to ask him whenever they talk or see each other after some time.

Chenle likes Donghyuck being his hyung. If he’s confused about something, it’s usually Donghyuck or Jisung that he turns to for help, because he knows both of them are always ready to explain something to him for more than one time. Donghyuck is surprisingly patient with him - he explains rules of games they’re playing as many times as Chenle wants, repeats himself in different words if Chenle doesn’t understand his Korean and is always gentle about it.  _ Just watch hyung and do what he does _ , he says sometimes in a quiet, reassuring tone that Chenle has grown to love. 

(Jisung, of course, would say that Donghyuck is actually the worst kind of hyung. _ Even worse than Jaemin _ , he would insist fervently. Chenle thinks it’s absurd because a) everybody knows Jisung secretly likes being babied by Jaemin, b) Donghyuck is actually one of a few people that Jisung actively seeks approval from.) 

He hates the fact that lately the only time they get Donghyuck for themselves, more often that not the other boy looks dead on his feet. These moments are usually short, because both Renjun and Jeno are adamant about Donghyuck resting before he can get to work with them. Fortunately, he recovers quickly and after a short nap or simply laying down with other members for a while, he returns to his usual bubbly, energetic self.

And he  knows  that Donghyuck is good at taking care of himself. He wouldn’t survive being a member of two groups if he wasn’t. But he still can't help but worry.  


So he starts by doing small, mostly unnoticeable things. He brings little snacks to the set, spending extra time on choosing flavours that Donghyuck likes. The other members either don’t mind or just don’t pay attention. It’s when he’s in charge of putting food on everybody’s plates that Donghyuck realizes that Chenle put much more in his portion than any other’s. 

“What’s this?” he asks and Chenle shrugs a little. 

“I just thought you need more food. Because you work more than us.”

Donghyuck doesn’t reply, just narrows his eyes at him in a contemplative manner. He doesn’t comment on it for a rest of their meal and he seems to forget about the situation, immersing himself in an argument between Jeno and Renjun. Chenle sighs in relief but quickly learns that it was short-lived, because when the other members are already on their way to Dream dorm, and both Donghyuck and Chenle are waiting for their respective cars that’ll bring them to their homes, the older boy throws an arm around him and looks at him seriously. 

“So what’s this whole thing with feeding me?” he asks, but apparently doesn’t have enough patience to wait for Chenle’s reply, because he adds: “You heard my talk with Jeno, didn’t you.”

“Yeah,” he admits. “I was just worried about you, hyung. Don’t be angry.”

“I’m not angry,” he answers without missing a beat, his features turning softer when he looks Chenle in the eye. “But I don’t want you guys worrying about me.”

“Well, if you’re not eating enough, of course we’ll worry,” he replies, his worry turning hundred times heavier now that he can speak about them aloud. “What if you’ll collapse one day? You shouldn’t starve yourself, hyung-”

“What? Chenle-ya, no, I’m not…. I’m not starving myself. And I’m not doing this on purpose,” Donghyuck denies and looks so frustrated that Chenle regrets starting this discussion. “Sometimes I just forget to eat between schedules. Or am too tired to eat, so I just pass out in my bed after coming home. But I’m not avoiding food, okay? So don’t worry about me.” 

“Well, you’re still not eating.”

Donghyuck deflates at that. He doesn’t look angry anymore and honestly, that’s even worse. Chenle stays silent for a moment, thinking. Then, he grabs Donghyck’s hand that is still hanging off of his shoulder and squeezes it tightly. 

“Maybe I can help you with this whole forgetting thing,” he proposes slowly. “I will text you to remind you to eat and will be annoying about it until you send me a photo of your food . Actually, we should just go out and eat together whenever you’re free. It’s about time you make yourself familiar with Chinese food.”

“Chenle, I’m-”

“Hyung,” he cuts in. “You’re always so nice to me. Let me take care of you too?” 

Donghyuck startles at that. His lips slowly shape into a soft, fond smile that he doesn’t like showing in front of cameras. 

“Seriously,” he says and his voice cracks a little, but Chenle doesn’t plan on pointing it out. “When did you guys grow up?”

Chenle assumes Donghyuck means not only him, but also Jisung, and wonders what his best friend isn't telling him about. He decides to ignore it for a moment, instead turning slightly to lay his head on the other boy’s shoulder. 

“Silly hyung,” he scolds, affectionate and fond. “We’ve always been the adults of the group.”

*

“Your back hurts again, doesn’t it?” 

“Hello to you too, Cute Chocoball.”

_ Cute Chocoball _ rolls his eyes and joins him on the floor, where Jaemin was resting after dance practice and watching other members goofing around. They’ve been practicing for their concert, which meant not only learning new dances, but also remembering their older choreographies and it’s the thing that Jaemin dreads every single time. He loves being on stage more than anything else. Being able to see fans’ faces up close is something he really treasures. This concert will be different, without their fans being there psychically with them, and he feels weirdly sad about it, like there’s nothing to anticipate, even if he knows that the fans will watch them performing live from their own homes. He’d rather think this is why he’s feeling down, and not because of the pain in his back that has been growing more and more with each day they spend on practicing. 

Donghyuck doesn’t say anything else - doesn’t scold him nor does he try to bring him comfort with meaningless words. He also probably knows that nagging won’t make Jaemin take a break, even if usually it’s Jaemin himself berating others for not spending enough time on taking care of themselves. 

Donghyuck is a lot of things: witty, impossibly honest, quick-minded, sharp-tongued, but also affectionate and kind in ways that usually go by unnoticed. What people also fail to see is that Donghyuck is incredibly observant. It’s how he learns other groups’ choreographies and manages to improve his own dancing technique - by observing. He picks up on things, analyzes them and acts accordingly. It’s also how he takes care of people he’s close to - by noticing things about them and reacting to them, either with words or actions. It’s extremely reassuring at times, especially for those who don’t like voicing out their own concerns, like Jaemin.

He has always thought that Jeno is his best friend, but it’s Donghyuck who understands him the most. Renjun always says it’s because they both are weird, but Jaemin suspects it’s because Donghyuck is watching him silently but closely and is quick to react either with a joke or affection. He usually claims that Jaemin is the weird one and he doesn’t actually get him, but it _is_ usually him who notices something about Jaemin first, like now. 

Jaemin isn’t good at hiding anything but he prided himself with how he managed not to worry his friends about his condition. It’s been years now since his back injury and he doesn’t like mentioning it, because he often sees pity in their eyes. They always look like they regret celebrating their first win on a music show without him and he doesn’t like that. It was their win, their first victory, something monumental in every idol group’s career. It shouldn’t come with any kind of regret. This is why he keeps silent, managing not to alert the other members that he’s still feeling pain and is secretly afraid of another injury that will impair him for a couple of months again. 

That is, until Donghyuck comes back after recovering from his own injury. At first glance there’s nothing different about him - he still likes to pick on Jeno and Renjun, still sings without a single mistake during their practices, still jokes around and hugs them tightly when he needs to recharge. But he’s also more focused, like he’s proving himself to somebody. And he watches Jaemin - a lot. 

And maybe it’s because they’re the same not only about being affectionate, or maybe it’s Donghyuck and his observational skills, or maybe it’s just a coincidence

(it’s never a coincidence with Donghyuck, to be honest)

but his friend instantly realizes whenever Jaemin is in pain when they are together. He doesn’t announce it to anybody, just looks at Jaemin with an unreadable expression and caresses his face or reaches out to hold his hand tightly if they have enough time. 

Jaemin has always thought that they had a silent agreement up until now - yes, he is in pain, but he can’t and won’t do anything about it. Because doing anything about it means not being able to be on stage with Dream _again_. He knows it’s not fair - not to his body and certainly not to his friends, but it’s the only solution he can think of. And he’s not the only one, because as much as he loves this industry, it’s also a common knowledge that it takes a lot, sometimes even too much, both from their bodies and mental health. It’s a forbidden topic among the media - how much they suffer just to be on stage, how much they’re able to push themselves because they are a part of a group and they can’t disappoint their members and fans. 

Donghyuck is no exception, he’s painfully aware of that too - being in two groups means he is both witnessing  and experiencing it. Maybe that’s why he kept silent about it until now. And maybe that’s why Jaemin feels a little betrayed by his seemingly offhand comment. 

“How about your leg?” he asks back and he doesn’t mean to be petty, but maybe he sounds exactly like that. Donghyuck doesn’t look offended though, he just snorts and says quietly:    
“Boosted.” 

The truth is, Donghyuck would rather ask for a break because he’s hungry or because he’s not satisfied with how their practice runs, but he’ll never do it if he’s in pain. Jaemin suspects it’s because he wants to prove himself that he is and will be okay, and that nothing, even his own body, won’t be able to take performing away from him ever again. And Jaemin understands this urge with every fiber in his body. He knows it’s also something that Mark constantly calls him reckless for.  _ Treat it more seriously _ , he would say in anger when he was still in Dream and Donghyuck was suffering from minor neck or knee pains. He can only imagine how frustrated Mark is _now_ that the other boy’s injury has gotten much more serious. 

Donghyuck probably doesn’t speak about it to anyone, neither in Dream or 127, choosing to brush off these concerns just like Jaemin. But because they are so alike, Donghyuck isn’t the only one who is observant in their group. And so, Jaemin watches him. By now he has learned Donghyuck’s little signs that he’s in pain - he will stay crouching for a moment longer than necessary, scrunch up his eyebrows and will be slower than usual to deliver one of his jokes. If Jaemin deems he’s suffering too much, he asks for a break himself, always going for some nonsense excuse that has other members looking at him fondly. He doesn’t do it too often - Donghyuck is too smart for that and while he accepts Jaemin’s coddling on a daily basis, this time he might not appreciate it.

Donghyuck doesn’t say anything else, just takes Jaemin’s hand in his and plays with his fingers. Jaemin stops him, interlaces their fingers together and leaves a quick, tiny kiss on bony knuckles. Donghyuck makes a face, like he usually does when he’s on a receiving end of Jaemin’s affections - the audacity! - but doesn’t protest otherwise. 

“I was thinking about making an appointment at the hospital,” he admits quietly, still hiding part of his face behind Donghyuck’s hand. He looks at him surprised but doesn’t offer any comments. There’s something akin to pride shining in his brown eyes, though. “I know that they will probably offer more painkillers, but I was thinking about requesting some massages or something like that?”

He knows that he sounds uncertain, but it’s mostly because until now he hasn’t talked about it with anybody except their manager. Even then he threw in reassuring phrases like _only when we’re not that busy_ or _it’s not that urgent, just a passing thought_. Donghyuck probably hasn’t realized it yet, he just nods his head, looking serious. So Jaemin lets himself continue before he loses his confidence:    
“I want you to go with me, so we can do something about your leg, too,” he confesses and hears a loud inhale in response to his words. Before Donghyuck can protest, he adds quickly: “We can wait until after _Punch_ promotions, how about that?”.

Donghyuck doesn’t say anything about his pain because he’s convinced he knows his body the best and he’s probably right. He knows he’s on the bumpy road, but he’s careful and mindful of every turn. Jaemin understands, he really does, but it doesn’t mean they can’t walk this path together. 

Donghyuck turns to him, quiet. He doesn’t look angry or offended, but it also seems he’s not particularly fond of Jaemin’s idea. So Jaemin squeezes a tanned hand that is still in his tight grip and sends a soft smile that says:  _ you can do this alone, but you can also do this with me _ . 

And maybe Donghyuck understands his silent message or maybe it’s just a coincidence, but in the end he smiles too and says:

“After _Punch_ , then.” 

*

Renjun is coming back from his radio broadcast, when he decides to scroll his phone to kill some time during his trip back to the dorms. As always, Dream group chat is filled with messages that were sent by the rest. There’s a spark of irritation and then anger, when he sees that Donghyuck is one of the members sending them - currently swapping memes with Chenle. He doesn’t wait for his anger to pass like he usually does. This time he groans in frustration and dials Donghyuck’s number without hesitation. He grows even more angry when Donghyuck doesn’t pick up on the first signal, although he was active  _ just now _ . 

“Pick up, you coward,” he hisses and then sends his manager an apologetic smile, when the man looks at him through the rear view mirror in question. 

Donghyuck does pick up and he sounds like he knows exactly what Renjun is thinking. 

“Injunnie, hi,” he says, trying to sound cheerful but Renjun knows him long enough to detect a nervous undertone in his voice. “How was the radio?” 

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asks, ignoring the other boy’s question. “You were supposed to go to sleep at 10 PM. It’s nearing 11. Why are you still awake and sending memes to our group chat?”

After Donghyuck got sick at the beginning of new year, they all realized that his body was starting to refuse to keep up with an insane schedule that he was put through. To make things worse, the end of the year didn’t really mean the end of schedules for Donghyuck - after more than speedy recovery from his cold, he immediately began preparing for his comeback with NCT 127. 

It was then that Renjun along with the rest of Dream members decided to take the matters into their hands. They talked about it with their managers, who delivered helpful tips on how to take care of Donghyuck: how many hours of sleep he should get, how often and how much he should eat and what exercises he could do for his leg when the pain becomes too much. Of course, instructions were passed to Donghyuck who accepted them with determined nod, but all of them made sure to remember them and Renjun even decided to contact Johnny to make sure that their hyung will keep an eye on Donghyuck’s sleep schedule.    
(Admittedly, he felt rather foolish after that phone call, because Johnny was kind and pretty much agreed with his every word but he didn’t seem surprised about those tips and then he remembered: Donghyuck had a lot of more people that took care of him and loved him.) 

He thinks they did a pretty much good job. Donghyuck is unavoidably exhausted, especially when he starts preparing for concerts with both Dream  and  127, but he’s cheerful and excited and still manages to bring smiles upon the faces of those around him.   


“Haechannie,” he says softly, when the other boy doesn’t respond. “You promised us. Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing’s really wrong,” the other boy says but there’s nothing cheerful in his voice by now. Both of them are silent, until Donghyuck says in barely a whisper: “I just can’t sleep. Too tired.”

“You still shouldn’t be on your phone,” he scolds softly. “Johnny-hyung isn’t there with you?”

“No,” he whines and Renjun somehow feels relieved at the familiar tone of his voice. “He went out with some friends. I’m alone and lonely, Injunnie.”

He makes a mental note to scold Chenle a little after this. Their youngest usually try to take care of Donghyuck in their own ways but they’re also the ones to whom he goes whenever he feels like the rest of his friends are overbearing. He quickly figured out who he could whine to whenever he got scolded too much. At first he would turn to Jeno, but the older boy was as strict as Renjun when it came to following the rules regarding his health. 

(For a few first times he’d look betrayed and point a finger at Jeno accusingly, saying dramatically: “I thought you’d be on my side, Jeno-ya!”

“I promised you, didn’t I?” replied unfazed Jeno and whatever that promise was about, it caused Donghyuck to fall silent and look at him fondly for the rest of a day.)

Renjun thought that Jaemin would surely be on their side, since he liked taking care of others and nagging was one of his ways to do so. But it seemed like there was some kind of silent agreement between him and Donghyuck, because he never went out of his way to scold the other boy and would look definitely  _ too  _ smug, when Donghyuck would turn to him for affection in all of his pouting glory. Chenle and Jisung usually go along with whatever Donghyuck wants, because they are equally fond of him as they want to cause chaos. So it’s perfectly understandable that Donghyuck would turn to either of them when he had trouble sleeping. He doesn’t want to explain himself, he wants  distraction , and both Chenle and Jisung are good at providing that without any questions asked. 

Renjun understands it brings balance within their group and thanks to that Donghyuck doesn’t feel suffocated by all the rules, but a light scolding never hurt anybody, especially Chenle. 

“Being on your phone won’t help you, Haechannie,” he says in a warm voice, not bothering to hide his worry. “Off you go. End the call, go to bed and close your eyes.” 

“You think I didn’t try that?” the other boy asks, sounding tired. “And I  am  in my bed.”

“I’m sorry, did I ask you for your input? End the call,  _ settle  _ in your bed and close your eyes. I’ll see you tomorrow and I’ll know if you listened to my kind advice. Are we clear?” 

Donghyuck grumbles a lot of words that Renjun actually doesn’t understand but after a few seconds he ends the call with a _You’re lucky I love you so much, Injunnie_ in the saddest voice he can probably manage. 

Renjun shakes head fondly and looks through the window. They’re not far from the dorm, but he already has a few ideas, so he should be finished by the time the manager stops the car. He opens up the group chat once again, checking if Donghyuck really logged off and sees that the other boy has already sent his goodbyes and _dream of your best hyung, kids_! message, which was followed by Chenle’s _Goodnight!_ and Jisung’s _Then I won’t be dreaming of you for sure_. It doesn’t fail to make him smile. 

Satisfied, he starts working on a playlist of songs that could help Donghyuck fall asleep. Working as a DJ in radio has a lot of benefits and being able to come up with titles of a bunch of calming songs in a short time is definitely one of them. He’s been friends with Donghyuck for years now, knows what kind of music he likes and that sometimes it’s actually music that helps him calm down and recollect his thoughts. 

The playlist is finished by the time they pull up at the familiar building of their dorms. He sends it to the other boy along with a short message.   


_ Listen to this. Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow. _

He sees that Donghyuck read his message but apparently didn’t bother to write a reply. Renjun sighs heavily, complaining to his manager about ungrateful friends with the older man looking at him confused. 

It’s not until the next morning, when he’s awake and getting ready for a schedule, that he sees Donghyuck’s reply. The message manages to look exactly like something the other boy would write, but at the same time gives off a feeling of Donghyuck doing what he usually avoids at all costs: getting rid of his barriers and letting Renjun see himself as he is. If Donghyuck were to voice it out, he’d probably sound a lot different than usual, maybe a little bit fragile, maybe a little bit hesitant. If Renjun were to hear it, he’d probably hug him, maybe a little bit too strong, maybe a little bit too warm. 

_Thank you, Injunnie. I love you._

*

When Mark hears about SuperM for the first time, he thinks: _I don’t know if I can do this_. What follows shortly after is: _What about Donghyuck_?.

He doesn’t voice out both of his thoughts. First, because he knows what he will hear: _of course you can do this, this is a great opportunity for you, you are so talented, we will do everything we can to support you_. 

Second, because he sees the list of names on paper and knows for a fact that Donghyuck’s name isn’t written below his, just like he’s used to seeing it. It’s a strange feeling, because even though he did debut in NCT U without Donghyuck, now it’s his instinct to be on stage and catch his best friend’s eye while performing.The last time he had to perform without Donghyuck was when the other boy was still recovering from his leg injury and Mark would rather think about anything else than that. Although he feels thrilled about being in a group with so many great seniors and Taeyong’s, Ten’s and Lucas’ presence is nothing but comforting, he can’t help but think helplessly:  _ what about Donghyuck _ _?_

Donghyuck? Donghyuck is ecstatic, almost as if it was his name on that list.  _ Don’t you dare be lame in front of all of these cool sunbaenims _ , he warns him with a teasing smile and Mark can’t help but think that he would do everything to have him by his side in SuperM, too. 

But then Donghyuck becomes busy with promotions for _Boom_ and suddenly Mark is very glad about SuperM, because it becomes a good distraction for an ache he feels when he hears about Dream performing without him. He becomes comfortable with his hyungs in SuperM, but can’t help but think about people who he grew up with, whom he trusts with his life, who are out there, dancing and singing songs that are a huge part of him too. It’s a bittersweet feeling, to be in a new group with amazing people but leaving those few others who helped him shine so much. Both him and the rest of Dream members pretend they’re not upset that Mark can’t come to see their Dream Show. Donghyuck grips Chenle’s arm tightly, shrugs a little and says:  _ it can’t be helped, right?  _

Through all this time Donghyuck remains supportive. He cooks with Doyoung for Taeyong and Mark in his free time. He listens to every story with sparkly eyes, leaves an enthusiastic comment when Mark’s photo comes out and watches every teaser with rapt attention (and later proceeds to tease Mark about them). He even calls Mark cool in front of cameras and he’s suddenly reminded of the time when Donghyuck came with other Dream members to support him in School Rapper.

(He still remembers how nervous and giddy Donghyuck looked while watching him on stage, how he grinned widely when Mark came up to him for a high-five, how silent and grounding he was before performance and how loud he became after - he thinks he remembers every detail about that day because that Donghyuck is one of his favourites.)

When they are preparing for their first SuperM tour, Donghyuck sends him texts that are supposed to annoy him. They sometimes manage to call each other but the time difference is too big and Mark can’t let Donghyuck lose his sleep more than he already does. So instead the other boy bombards his phone with messages like _ Pls tell Taeyong-hyung I ate his pudding and I'm not sorry _ , or  _ Did Lucas-hyung grow taller again? Tell him to stop being a giant _ , or  _ C’mon, Mark, be useful and send me Taemin-sunbaenim pics!!!.   
_

(The last one sort of back-fires on Donghyuck when Ten learns about it. He makes Taemin take a selfie and actually send it to Donghyuck. And  _ then _ , it back-fires on Ten himself, because somehow Taemin becomes incredibly fond of Donghyuck after that.)

But he  misses  Donghyuck and those messages only make corners of his mouth curve upwards in a fond, warm smile. It’s a little bit ridiculous and Ten doesn’t miss a chance to tell him so, but it doesn’t stop him from anticipating those messages even more. 

Then, finally, 2019 ends and Donghyuck, Mark and Taeyong somehow manage to stumble through year-ending ceremonies, although their youngest does fall sick at the beginning of January. It makes Mark realize that the end of the year means nothing, if anything he should be  _ dreading  _ it, because he knows how hectic Donghyuck’s schedules will become from now on. 

With that thought in mind, he decides it’s  his  turn to take care of Donghyuck now. He compliments him on his hard work and gets a shy, flustered Donghyuck as a reward (seriously, he shouldn’t be that endearing after years of knowing each other, but here he is, staring at Mark, caught off the guard, hiding behind his hands and looking so beautiful that Mark barely resists an urge to keep him for himself forever). He warns him not to get hurt for the sake of the games, although he knows that his words fall on deaf ears. He buys food and drinks and comes for the shooting of Dream’s music video and pretends that he doesn’t notice how surprised his best friend seems to see him there. He tries to remember chords for _Puzzle Piece_ and most of _Ridin’_ choreography, learns Chenle’s rap and brings them all for a hug, squeezing Donghyuck’s shoulder, even if other boys react with retching sounds. He hugs him more, keeps his arm around him and brushes long hair from his forehead. He tells him to trust him, rely on him and treat him like a hyung. 

It’s actually something that they used to fight about when they were younger.  _ Treat me like a hyung _ , he used to say frustratingly, because he wanted Donghyuck to show him respect and maybe a little bit of adoration he showered older members with.  _ Treat me like a hyung _ , he says now, because he wants Donghyuck to rely on him and look his way when he’s feeling vulnerable or scared or weak, because he knows Mark will be there for him no matter what.

It’s easier said than done, because Donghyuck _does_ trust him but is really bad at showing it. They’re in a relationship now and it’s built on years of knowing each other, strong friendship, mutual trust and adoration, and yet Mark sometimes still finds Donghyuck closing up onto himself, choosing to struggle with his problems alone rather than talk about them with him. He always claims he prefers it that way and it’s a little hypocritical, considering the fact Donghyuck is always one of the first people to notice if any of their members feels down. He’s also quick to do everything he can to make them feel better, but Mark figures it’s always been like that with him.   


So it must have been a little bit weird for him to be suddenly at the centre of attention of so many people. Mark knows that he’s not the only one who decided to double his efforts on taking care of him. The way their hyungs treated him didn’t change drastically, maybe except Doyoung, who insists on showering the younger boy with affection every moment they are together. Dream members are kind of scary when it comes to monitoring an amount of work that is put on Donghyuck’s shoulders. It’s heartwarming, not only because Mark is delighted to see how much other people love and appreciate Donghyuck, but also because their golden boy seems to open up a little, choosing to share his worries and rely on others for once. 

Maybe it’s a little selfish, but he still wants to be the first person Donghyuck turns to, whether he’s happy or sad. He likes to think he’s the one who knows him the best, especially when something is troubling him. That’s why he immediately notices something is wrong with the other boy, when he sees him open the door leading to the living room of the 10th floor, where Mark was lounging on their couch, scrolling mindlessly through social media on his phone. 

“Hey,” he greets, surprised. Donghyuck’s hair is in a complete disarray and his big t-shirt is slipping off one shoulder. His warm, brown eyes instantly fall on Mark as he closes the door behind himself. He looks like he just woke up and his first instinct was to see Mark. “Didn’t expect to see you there. Do you need something?” 

“Hug?” he asks back quietly and Mark feels something tugging at his chest, because Donghyuck never really waits for permission to hug someone unless he’s feeling down or insecure about something. 

So he opens his arms in silence and watches with warm eyes how Donghyuck’s face lightens up with a smile. He doesn’t complain when the younger boy scrambles on his lap and tucks his face in the crook of Mark’s neck as if it’s the safest place he knows. He wraps his arms around him, smiling a little when he hears a sigh full of content coming from the other boy. 

After a few seconds Donghyuck leans back, sending him a shy, hesitant smile that is too precious to show before any cameras. So Mark pulls him in for a kiss, one of the deep and slow ones that express how much they missed each other. Maybe it’s not the most appropriate thing, considering they’re still sitting in the living room, but then Donghyuck smiles and giggles into the kiss and Mark finds out once again that he can’t bring himself to care. There’s something tender about the way Donghyuck holds himself today and so when they part again, Mark strokes his cheek lightly. 

“Something wrong?” he asks, smiling at the way Donghyuck leans into his touch. 

“Well, I was feeling so-so earlier today, but I got a selfie from Taemin-sunbaenim, so I’m cured now. But I have to admit, it was kind of disturbing. Why is SuperM a bunch of cowboys now?” 

“It’s not SuperM, just Taemin-hyung.”

“Oh, thank god. I think he’s the only one who can actually pull it off. You’d look super lame,” he snipes quietly and then squirms when Mark pinches his sides, offended. “Well, maybe Taeyong-hyung would look cool too.”

Just when Mark thought Donghyuck couldn’t get any more biased. But he knows better than to focus on his boyfriend playing favourites with literally anybody else but him. It’s a good distraction, but definitely not good enough to steer Mark’s attention away from the first half of Donghyuck’s sentence. 

“And why were you feeling so-so?”

He feels Donghyuck stiffen slightly against him. Maybe he hoped Mark wouldn’t catch a little slip-up or was a little dizzy after their kiss and didn’t realize what he hinted at. 

“Just feeling… restless, I guess,” he admits quietly, his hot breathing sending shivers down Mark’s spine. 

“Restless,” Mark repeats flatly. “Donghyuckie, remember the last few months? Or last year, actually? When you worked insanely hard? You’ve been given so many free days because you need to rest.” 

“Well, isn’t that exactly a source of my problem?” Donghyuck whines in response. “I was so busy that now I don’t know what to do with myself. And I’ve rested  _ plenty _ . I ate and slept all I wanted, played games with hyungs until  _ I _ had enough of them and I think I’m slowly becoming a master of Chinese culinary because of Chenle. Now I want to do something.” 

Mark knows what he should do: insist that Donghyuck simply deserves more rest and maybe bully him into spending a couple more days on doing absolutely nothing because they will be working on another comeback very soon. But he also prides himself on knowing Donghyuck the best and, worst of all, he understands him. 

Mark enjoys performing because he feels that ironically stage is one of a few places when he can be truly comfortable at. It’s like all of his worries disappear whenever he hears music in his in-ear monitor. Being an idol has became a part of him and something that he feels lost without. 

Donghyuck isn’t much different. He excels in almost everything he wants, but he chose singing and dancing as his priority. Whenever they’re preparing for a comeback, he’s like a starved little beast - always demanding _more_ , _more_ and _more_. More time on stage, more interactions with fans, more content to make promotions interesting and funny. He’s always on the side, thinking what he can do to shine even more than he usually does. He adds little moves to choreography that aren’t damaging their dance as a whole, but still can be seen as something distinctly _ his _ . He comes up with ideas about what he can bring into their songs. His energy is endless and it would be actually scary if Mark didn’t admire him so much. 

But most of all, if Donghyuck is restless and actually admits it’s starting to affect him, then it’s not something that should be ignored or placated with words of soft encouragement. It would probably frustrate him even more or make him feel like it’s a trivial matter, while it’s not. Now that Mark got him to admit that something is actually bothering him, he doesn’t want to screw it up by brushing off his concerns, however small they may seem to an outsider. 

“Wanna work on some covers with me?” he offers, because it’s the safest option he can think of. This will give Donghyuck something to work on but at the same time Mark will be able to keep an eye on him to see if he’s not over-working himself again. 

“Really?” Donghyuck visibly perks up at his offer and Mark can’t help but smile at him. 

“Yes, really, you workaholic,” he says fondly and decides to plant a kiss on top of his head. Donghyuck whines, clearly not satisfied with his choice and straightens up to pucker his full lips in Mark’s direction. Mark leans in but doesn’t close the distance between them. “ But after that we take a nap in my room. My bed. Deal?” 

There’s something in Donghyuck’s eyes that he rarely catches. He’s used to the younger boy looking at him with a teasing glint or a hooded gaze that he deemed as deadly ages ago. Sometimes he manages to catch Donghyuck looking at him with eyes so full of love and admiration that it leaves him breathless. But this time he looks relieved and like he’s glad that he has Mark by his side and maybe Mark falls in love with him again, and again, and again. 

“Deal.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and sorry for any mistakes. I guess you can see I started writing this long before news about NCT 2020 came out (there was an idea for a second part with hyungs taking care of their youngest, but I am so slow with writing that it would probably took me a year and zillions of comebacks to finish it). I decided to publish it anyway as a reminder how hard our boy worked. I hope this one managed to warm your day/night a little, since it's getting colder these days. :) Remember to take care of yourself and drink lots of water!


End file.
